Lesson plan

Floods and Droughts and Water, Oh My!

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Are your students ready for a challenge? In this science and language arts integrated lesson, students will not only learn about floods and droughts, but they will also brainstorm and develop solutions.

Related books and/or media

Flooding and Drought by Clive Gifford

Weather by Clare Oliver

Extreme Weather by Terry Jennings

Key terms

flood

drought

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to identify key problems of floods and drought. Students will be able to develop solutions to help people during a flood or a drought. Students will be able to understand the differences between floods and droughts.

Introduction

(5 minutes)

Brainstorm the causes and effects of rain with the students. Potential questions include: What can happen when it doesn’t rain enough? What can happen when it rains too little?

Explain the difference between a drought, or a lack of rain, and a flood, or an overabundance of rain.

Tell the students that they will be learning more about the differences between floods and droughts and designing a solution to improve conditions when there is a flood or a drought.

Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling

Show the students the important words and phrases found in the text beside the interactive flood model.

Guided Practice

(10 minutes)

Lead the students in a close read of the Drought and Flood text.

Begin brainstorming with the students what could be a solution to the problem to the drought and flood. For example: What can people do to make sure there is enough water during a drought? What could help individuals during a flood?

Lead the students in recording these ideas on the graphic organizer and illustrating one of the solutions.

Independent working time

(15 minutes)

Divide the students into groups and if desired, assign each group member a role.

Challenge the students to work as a group and create an invention or a solution for people who experience either a drought or flood.

Tell the students to record the problem it solves and how it works.

Circulate around the room as students are working to support groups as needed.

Differentiation

Enrichment: As a challenge, assign students the Weather Disasters worksheet and challenge students to figure out which kind of weather disasters are listed.

Support: Provide additional visual images of droughts and floods as a support for students who may have difficulty understanding these concepts. Provide examples of materials that people could use in building or creating something to cope with a drought or flood.

Assessment

(5 minutes)

Distribute one index card to each student.

Ask students to explain their solutions to the problem of either a drought or flood and how it could make life better for people.

Review and closing

(5 minutes)

Gather all groups and students together.

Ask the students to reflect on each group’s idea. Guiding questions include: What was something positive? What could be improved?